A Rocking Wake
by LittleTee
Summary: Written for IWSC round 6. The Lupins attend Sirius's wake. Remus/Tonks. One-shot.


**Submitted for Round 6 of The International Wizarding School Championship.**

**School: Durmstrang**

**Year 5**

**Theme: Pain**

**Main prompt: [Event] Funeral **

**Word count: 1,421**

**Author's note: This is set in an AU where Remus, Tonks, and Severus Snape survived the war. I'm also using the board sense of a funeral to include a wake. **

* * *

**A Rocking Wake**

_Sirius Black posthumously invites you to celebrate the clearing of his name, his rocking wake, and rolling memorial._

That had been the owl that had been sent to all the remaining Order members and a great scope of Wizarding Britain. Some of the names Remus knew to have only been picked for the hilarity of picturing the recipient's reactions to the invite. However, with the unwanted help of the Daily Prophet, Sirius's event had become the social event of the season and several doubtless purebloods that would not have stepped a toe within a mile near the old muggle arcade and bowling joint would now, nevertheless be there. If only to be seen.

That brought his attention back to why he was standing outside in a parking lot looking at the old multicolored neon lights flicker to life. A bowling ball and three pins denoting its main venue. He shook his head and sighed.

It was what Sirius had wanted. As crazy and uncouth as it was going to be to the majority of Pureblood Wizarding Britain. Then again that was probably why Sirius had left instructions for it. To fling his nose at the prejudice and bigots of his parent's world one last time. Remus couldn't blame him for that. Not after everything his friend had gone through, from childhood and those years he had been unjustly imprisoned and ...

His downward spiral of thoughts stopped as he felt his wife's hand weave its way into his. A matching bubblegum pink Teddy happily tucked under her other arm. Remus returned Tonks small smile with one of his own. Thankful it was summer as he silently appreciated how her nymph-like beauty called to him in that navy blue sundress of hers. It was his favorite dress of hers if only for its ability to highlight her subtle curves and contrast her red lips, but the memories it brought was also welcoming; their first date followed by that picnic sometime later that lead to their son being here.

"Ready?"

Remus nodded and kissed her lightly, sharing a laugh with Tonks when Teddy made his opinions of their kiss known. Apparently, it had been _icky_.

"If you are so grown tiger then maybe you should walk." Remus suggested as he picked him up and deposited him onto the old cracked payment. "No running."

Two and full with an attitude that spoke of his parentage, Teddy rolled his eyes as he nodded yes. Grinning and eyes widening with amazement as he noticed the neon lights for the first time.

"Shiny!"

"Yes. They are. They're called neon lights." Tonks explained after she saw Remus's frown had resumed its place again. Sighing she guided her family up to the bowling alley. She knew whenever Remus was reliving another snapshot from his past friendship with her cousin, not for the first time Tonks wished she could help ease the pain he was going through but she was only a witch and some pain only lessened as life went on.

As her mother would say, "Time hears all wounds."

* * *

_"We built this city... we built this city on rock and roll!"_

"Sirius please. After the fifth time it has lost its appeal," Remus criticized as he silenced the wizarding wireless and stilled his best friend from dancing along to his own singing of the old American pop song.

"But Moony, it's quite catchy and," he paused as he took another drink from his firewhisky. "I missed it the first time around. I'm entitled to—"

"Dance around and make a fool of yourself?"

"In not so many words, but yeah." Sirius sobered for a moment as he fall back onto the threadbare couch. "I don't have that many more Saturday nights to enjoy. Even if I am stuck in this ridiculous excuse for a house."

Remus frowned and joined his friend but before he could ask what Sirius meant the wizard had passed out. Shaking his head Remus had summoned a throw that had clearly seen better days and left it on Sirius's lap.

Sirius had been right. Thirteen days later had been the Battle of the Ministry.

* * *

"Karaoke? My cuz had good taste."

Remus blinked as he came back to the present with Tonks surprised excitement over the ongoing karaoke bar stationed off to the side.

"Sirius was the undisputed champion of drunken singing," Remus explained as he accepted his glass of Elvish Wine and handed one to his wife.

"We didn't have a sing-off, or otherwise his title would have been in trouble." Tonks lightly remarked as she drank her wine and watched as Harry and Ginny sang Toto's Africa. It was oddly fitting for those two. But, she was somewhat puzzled why Harry had chosen to step into the spotlight. Since he never was much one for it. Then Harry read off the next couple to perform.

"Lupin and Tonks, you're next," Harry announced, smiling weakly as he allowed Ginny to take the mic.

"You got to sing either _Eye of the Tiger_ or _Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now_. Your choice."

Remus blinked and was about to protest when Tonks took his drink, after making sure Teddy was with his Grandmother, and winked at her husband: a hint of amber hair glinting through the pink bob.

"Show me what's you got," she challenged, playfully.

Happy when he whispered back, "Be careful what you wish for," a playful and rather wolfish smirk takening over his usual composed features.

Squeezing his hand they walked up to the microphone, and looking into each other's eyes, they both began to sing _Eye of the Tiger_, not caring that Ginny and the others yelled out their disappointment that they hadn't sung the romantic one. They both knew that the former song was more fitting then the 80s love song. This was not just for them but for Sirius's memory and everyone else that had fallen victim or survived the cruelty of the Wizarding Wars.

As the chorus faded Remus kissed Tonks once and whispered a question. One that had her laughing as he summoned the next song from the karaoke. Both grinning as the first notes of the upbeat love song began to play.

"Looking in your eyes I see a paradise..." Remus couldn't help but keep smiling as he sang the lyrics. The words and their attached sentiments hitting an odd note of truth for him, and as he gazed into his wife's eyes he wondered. . . wondered if she felt it too.

Nah. He was being too sentimental and foolish. It was just a song. If Sirius was here he would be the first one to laugh and tell him that he just needed a good wank before his brains went anymore soft. Or something along those lines.

He nevertheless returned Tonks's kiss as they handed off the mic to Snape and Hermione.

_Fini_


End file.
